The United Kingdom is moving to tighten visa access for Nigerian, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan nationals, citing concerns that many applicants from these countries are more likely to overstay their visas and eventually seek asylum.
According to The Times, the U.K. Home Office, in collaboration with the National Crime Agency (NCA), is developing predictive, data-based tools to help visa officers flag potentially high-risk applicants, particularly those applying for work or student visas.
The crackdown will reportedly focus on two major visa categories: the Skilled Worker visa (Tier 4) for individuals sponsored by British employers, and the Student visa (Tier 2), meant for international students.
This move follows internal assessments and growing public pressure to address a surge in asylum claims from individuals who entered the country legally.
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Government data published in March showed that nearly 10,000 asylum seekers in 2023 had initially arrived in the U.K. on student or work visas. Many of them were later housed in government-funded accommodation, including hotels.
Nigerian, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan nationals were the most common among these cases, according to officials familiar with the data.
However, the planned profiling strategy has triggered backlash from immigration specialists and human rights groups.
Critics argue that using predictive models based on nationality raises ethical red flags and could lead to unfair discrimination.
They warn that such an approach may further entrench bias in the immigration system and penalise individuals based on broad generalisations rather than personal merit or intent.